BeyondCompare is a utility for comparing different version of documents and seeing the differences. It also allows changes to be merged and synchronized.Scooter SoftwareThe best file and folder comparison tool. No doubt.2018-12-13T19:15:11.636ZI use BeyondCompare mostly for code diffing and also for personal matters. In my day-to-day job, BeyondCompare is an essential tool in my toolset that allows me to see differences between files and folders no matter the format, extension or size.,Folder diffing. It allows you to see differences in deeply nested folder structures.
File diffing. It allows you to see differences in files no matter their complexity.
Diffing rules. It allows you to set rules to include/exclude files, folders and lines from your comparison.,Probably the only thing that might require improvement is syntax hightlighting on code files, the feature is in my opinion very basic and requires you to install or fine tune syntax hightlighting languages that usually lack precission in rules, attributes, names.,10,The impact of BeyondCompare on my work is related to productivity, it can compare, merge and sync files and folders faster than other tools, default or third party, can.,,Yes,Product Features
Product Usability
Prior Experience with the Product,No chages,6,No,2-file or 2-folder comparison: Select 2 files or folders, right-click on the selection and choose "Compare"
Image comparison: Compare 2 images and BC will show you visual differences using a heatmap.
Folder sync: Compare 2 folders and BC will show you the difference. When ready, sync from right to left or left to right using a button.,Regular expressions on rules: Not sure what regular expressions flavor the program uses but often times I find myself battling with expressions that don't work.
Audio comparison: I frequently compare audio files using BC and there is no way to compare audio waveforms. I don't think this is the main goal of the app but since it can compare media files, would be noce to find a waveform comparison as there is heatmap comparison for images.,9Hernán SilvaBeyondCompare - Helping you navigate your sea of changes and differences2019-02-01T23:00:59.959ZAs far as I know, it is not used by whole department but rather some specific people all over the organisation. I know that BeyondCompare has a lot of functionnalities but the ones that I've used the most were script compare and folder compare. I have also used it some time ago in order to promote changes. The software makes it easy to identify differences and apply changes to either the base file or the compare file.,The ability to compare whole directory structure is really nice and time saving. This allows to quickly identify at the file level what matches and what doesn't. You can then move into each file to see what is different.
When comparing files, you can go through changes and for each of them decides if you want to apply a file's version of that different line to the other one. When promoting changes, this allows you to go through the changes one more time by promoting each "delta" one by one.
Can connect to servers to compare remote files. This was a great benefit for us.,It would be nice to compare more than 2 sources. Not a common problem but sometimes we can have several versions of a script and it would be nice to quickly get a report of which of these are identical.
The ability to specify custom characters to ignore by folder/file could be helpful but I have to say that it is more a "nice to have" than an actual problem.,9,The great benefit of this software is immediate as it allows users to spend a fraction of the time they used to for source code compare. The compare is quicker and exact (no human looking at files or comparing files one by one with possibility of missing one).
In this case, if the person validating differences between files and folders is not using a compare software, the time saved will probably be around 80% minimum.
Used by change management groups, this can also raise the security of the changes as the person promoting the change can validate in details what modification a specific change brings to a production application.,,UltraEdit, Snagit, Sage 50 Accounting,10,9Mathieu GaouetteComparing files and folders at its best2019-01-12T17:45:43.786ZWe are using BeyondCompare in the software development organization for file comparison. Often we have to compare files quickly and easily. These files can be not only source code, but other kinds of files, like xml, xsl, xls, even binaries. We have tools that process binary files required by the business and sometimes we need to compare them to debug some production issues.,Finds and shows the differences between files quickly and accurately
Allows you to update either file(merge) when the difference is found, just by clicking on the arrows
Folder comparison is one of the most useful features for software developers
The integration with the mouse right click menu is extremely helpful,The User Interface could use a big uplift. It is old looking, people will prefer something more modern.
A little slow when comparing folders that have many files or large file sizes
Sometimes when the differences between files are caused by moving text, it is difficult for the tool to identify that, and it is a pain for the user to merge the files.
As in most comparison tools, the alignment can cause some issues, by showing too many differences between files which are caused by the alignment.,9,Decreased the time spent by software developers in finding issues with the wrong files checked in the file versioning tool
Issues occurring in the production deployed applications are solved faster
The source code branching has been made easier by having this tool to compare between them,Notepad++,Apache OpenOffice, Apache Subversion,9,9Cristian BodnarasecA System Administrator's "Must Have" Tool2019-02-10T01:37:28.890ZI work in our QA department, and all of the Systems Administrators (Microsoft Windows) use BeyondCompare when troubleshooting configuration files for web-based applications. What are the differences between this configuration file and that one? Load both of them into BeyondCompare for text searching and - bingo! - any differences stand out like a sore thumb.,Comparing two configuration text files side-by-side is a snap. BeyondCompare quickly and clearly shows each and every line of text that differs between the two. That makes it very easy to see, for example, if someone modified a config file, or if a URL is wrong, etc.
When comparing two files that are lengthy, BeyondCompare has this wonderful feature that allows you to clear out all the clutter and see only the lines that differ. What a huge help!
Need to compare the contents of one folder with the contents of another folder? Easy peasy! BeyondCompare to the rescue.
If you want to merge the contents of two or more folders, again with BeyondCompare it is a snap. Drag-and-drop the folders into BeyondCompare and ba-da-bing you've solved your issue.
Want to keep the contents between folders synchronized? What a headache to have to do that manually, and often only because we forget, "Oh. Yeah! I modified that file last week and forgot to synchronize it with my target folder." BeyondCompare to the rescue. Folder sync is also a snap.
Want to merge the text content of two or more files? Good luck with doing that manually. Use BeyondCompare!,There are several operations that one can do with BeyondCompare, but the icons for them are all on one line, so you have to scroll (using a> on the sides of the screen) to see the next six options. It would be nicer if one could have them in a grid and move them around so they're in the order you want.
I'm not a big fan of the "Auto-saved" sessions feature because I don't generally keep coming back to the same files. I'm all over the network looking at configuration files and those that I place temporarily on my desktop. At least they created a relatively simple right-click, clear contents option so I can get rid of the session's clutter.
I would especially like to have an ability to have BeyondCompare open on one monitor and have it interact with content in a remote desktop session that is open on a second monitor, like being able to drag and drop content from the RDP session to BeyondCompare would be amazing.,10,ROI ($): I can't put a dollar value on this, but the amount of time invested in troubleshooting computer software/infrastructure issues -- which simply means how much is it costing per hour for a person to do that job (which means labor costs) has been absolutely HUGE. For example, pouring through a web.config file on one web server and trying to compare it with one from another server using Notebook or Notebook++ can be very time consuming (not to mention frustrating and energy draining), but with BeyondCompare, the time it takes to spot such differences is reduced to a couple of minutes -- and most of that is finding the two or more files to compare.
Reduced troubleshooting time: troubleshooting complex web-based applications in a Windows environment across multiple infrastructures can be a real nightmare. BeyondCompare has made that aspect of my work significantly less painful and quicker to do. See the example above.,Notepad++,9,10Verified UserBest Bang-For-The Buck I've Ever Purchased2019-01-04T22:40:15.009ZFirst off, let me disclose that I use Beyond Compare every day in my job as a DBA and SQL programmer. I recommend it to users every opportunity I get. I can't believe we haven't purchased an Enterprise license for it yet (I think one exists). We just have individual users requisition it from their respective department heads. Seems like something we need to buy en masse. It is my go-to choice for comparing SQL code, DDL, and just about anything.,Comparing database objects between test and production.
Comparing different versions of the code.
Clearly highlighting just the differences between text blocks.
Migration of differences from one source to another.
Copy and paste from spreadsheets, code editors, just about anything.,Don't love the printing options. They could be improved.
I haven't been able to figure out how to compare more than 2 objects at a time. Yes, that could be difficult, but it would come in handy once in a while.
Wish it had code editor formatting built-in, though these are all wishlist items. None of this is advertised by the product.,10,This is likely the biggest bang-for-the-buck software I've purchased. Saves me countless hours for under $100
As stated, we use this enough now to justify an Enterprise license.
For programmers, DBAs, and probably Accounting professionals, this does a great job of telling you what text is missing.,Notepad++,Secret Server, HP Service Desk OutsourcingVerified User

I use BeyondCompare mostly for code diffing and also for personal matters. In my day-to-day job, BeyondCompare is an essential tool in my toolset that allows me to see differences between files and folders no matter the format, extension or size.

Probably the only thing that might require improvement is syntax hightlighting on code files, the feature is in my opinion very basic and requires you to install or fine tune syntax hightlighting languages that usually lack precission in rules, attributes, names.

BeyondCompare is a superb tool not only for developers but also for power users of any kind. It works very well across operating systems for comparing all kinds of files and folders, especially code and media files.

I usually throw files with thousands (4000+) of lines or folders with thousands (3000+) to compare and the program will do it quickly.

I really don't think there is a scenario where BC is not the right tool for the task.

As far as I know, it is not used by whole department but rather some specific people all over the organisation. I know that BeyondCompare has a lot of functionnalities but the ones that I've used the most were script compare and folder compare. I have also used it some time ago in order to promote changes. The software makes it easy to identify differences and apply changes to either the base file or the compare file.

The ability to compare whole directory structure is really nice and time saving. This allows to quickly identify at the file level what matches and what doesn't. You can then move into each file to see what is different.

When comparing files, you can go through changes and for each of them decides if you want to apply a file's version of that different line to the other one. When promoting changes, this allows you to go through the changes one more time by promoting each "delta" one by one.

Can connect to servers to compare remote files. This was a great benefit for us.

It would be nice to compare more than 2 sources. Not a common problem but sometimes we can have several versions of a script and it would be nice to quickly get a report of which of these are identical.

The ability to specify custom characters to ignore by folder/file could be helpful but I have to say that it is more a "nice to have" than an actual problem.

BeyondCompare is a really nice tool that should be used for professionals that do change management. Senior technical staff that revise other people's scripts will also benefit from such a tool.

The cost of the software makes it less appealing for large distribution in a company. Free alternatives such as WinMerge might be considered for other [types] of users that probably don't need as much functionality.

We are using BeyondCompare in the software development organization for file comparison. Often we have to compare files quickly and easily. These files can be not only source code, but other kinds of files, like xml, xsl, xls, even binaries. We have tools that process binary files required by the business and sometimes we need to compare them to debug some production issues.

BeyondCompare is the best file comparison tool we have used in our experience. It can compare any text format and even binaries. The folder comparison is a huge feature that helps a lot the software developers to debug/find issues in the code. BeyondCompare has proved to be much better also than the in-built file comparison from the file versioning tools we have used: VSS, SVN, SourceTree(Git).

I work in our QA department, and all of the Systems Administrators (Microsoft Windows) use BeyondCompare when troubleshooting configuration files for web-based applications. What are the differences between this configuration file and that one? Load both of them into BeyondCompare for text searching and - bingo! - any differences stand out like a sore thumb.

Comparing two configuration text files side-by-side is a snap. BeyondCompare quickly and clearly shows each and every line of text that differs between the two. That makes it very easy to see, for example, if someone modified a config file, or if a URL is wrong, etc.

When comparing two files that are lengthy, BeyondCompare has this wonderful feature that allows you to clear out all the clutter and see only the lines that differ. What a huge help!

Need to compare the contents of one folder with the contents of another folder? Easy peasy! BeyondCompare to the rescue.

If you want to merge the contents of two or more folders, again with BeyondCompare it is a snap. Drag-and-drop the folders into BeyondCompare and ba-da-bing you've solved your issue.

Want to keep the contents between folders synchronized? What a headache to have to do that manually, and often only because we forget, "Oh. Yeah! I modified that file last week and forgot to synchronize it with my target folder." BeyondCompare to the rescue. Folder sync is also a snap.

Want to merge the text content of two or more files? Good luck with doing that manually. Use BeyondCompare!

There are several operations that one can do with BeyondCompare, but the icons for them are all on one line, so you have to scroll (using a> on the sides of the screen) to see the next six options. It would be nicer if one could have them in a grid and move them around so they're in the order you want.

I'm not a big fan of the "Auto-saved" sessions feature because I don't generally keep coming back to the same files. I'm all over the network looking at configuration files and those that I place temporarily on my desktop. At least they created a relatively simple right-click, clear contents option so I can get rid of the session's clutter.

I would especially like to have an ability to have BeyondCompare open on one monitor and have it interact with content in a remote desktop session that is open on a second monitor, like being able to drag and drop content from the RDP session to BeyondCompare would be amazing.

It absolutely shines when it comes to comparing the textual content of two or more files. It also does well when comparing the contents of two or more directories (folders), synchronizing folders merging the content of multiple folders and merging two or more text files. I haven't actually done table compares, hex compares, MP3 compares, picture compares, or version compares, but if these work as well as the other features, then they are simple to use, intuitive, and quick. The ability to compare registries (a Windows construct for those who don't know what that is) has made my support work so much simpler. Great tool!

First off, let me disclose that I use Beyond Compare every day in my job as a DBA and SQL programmer. I recommend it to users every opportunity I get. I can't believe we haven't purchased an Enterprise license for it yet (I think one exists). We just have individual users requisition it from their respective department heads. Seems like something we need to buy en masse. It is my go-to choice for comparing SQL code, DDL, and just about anything.

We used BeyondCompare to compare the text file, which was related to two different versions of the application code. It was a very easy tool to compare both the files and folders. Both developers and testers were using that tool for comparison. By using this tool, we were able to save time by identifying the difference easily or else it would have been a tedious task to go through each and every line of code to check the difference between the previous and current version of the file.

BeyondCompare is one of the best-suited tools to compare the contents of the file and it's more useful for developers where they can use it to find the differences in coding between the different versions of the file. It can be used to compare other file types (images, audio & video), FTP server comparison and the folders, which is very useful. Also, the folder synchronization feature is very nice and useful.

But, when the file / folder size is large, the comparison using BeyondCompare takes bit more time and performance could be improved.

BeyondCompare was used by our development team mostly as a diff tool for use with Git version control. It is a far better solution than the default mergetool utility included with Git and makes handling difficult merges easier to deal with.

BeyondCompare is great for handling file differences for a large variety of file types. It is indispensable as a merge tool for version control systems, especially when dealing with difficult merges. And it also serves as an archive utility as it allows for the synchronization of folders.

We use BeyondCompare to compare code files and config files changes while developing software. It is being used across the organization for code comparison needs. It helps to resolve any code-merge conflicts.

In our department of web coders, data entry and graphic design, we use it for everything from comparing code to massive spreadsheets. We can compare almost any file types and entire folders of files. We we receive documents from multiple sources we can easily combine them using BeyondCompare saving us countless hours or going line by line. The highlighted areas of the display make is simple to see where the differences are and move directly to them.

Being able to switch between seeing the entire document to just seeing the differences is very helpful when dealing with large amounts of copy. The ability to set the grammatical elements to compare also saves time and effort.

Sessions are great and can be sued to save and reuse an important compare you've done and retain the settings and rules you applied.

Accessing documents from the right-click menu is invaluable, quick launch of the program with your files loaded and ready to compare.

BC has a large number of file formats you can compare and the ability to change document formats or create your own is a plus.

Every once in a while there are serious alignment issues in BeyondCompare and it is hard to see exactly where everything lines up but you can choose the "align to" to compare important differences as blocks of added and deleted text rather than changed text.

It is difficult to select and or move blocks of copy when BC breaks them up into sections that are not the same on both the right and left sides. You usually have to manually select the row or rows you want to move.

Sometimes when a file is changed outside of Beyond Compare it does not update or recognize it and overwrites or eliminates any changes made. This may be a PC memory issue but I am not sure as it does happen occasionally.

it is perfect for comparing programming and development code. It handles many types of these files, .html, .php, .js, etc. You can even compare two InDesign files for differences. We deal with large amounts of XML data and BC easily helps us look at them and combine their contents eliminating any duplications.